Don’t Risk Missing Insurance Data During Shipment Mishandling

Sometimes, no matter how secure your packaging, it can’t compete with severe mishandling during the shipping process. When you ship anything, this is a problem. When you ship something worth $300K, it’s absolutely vital that you can prove damage to your insurance company. Insurance matters are handled differently overseas than in the US, so it is paramount to have the right evidence of how and when damage occurs to a shipment.

The two most important things you can do to protect yourself are A) get the best packaging possible to minimize any damage, and B) ensure the package has a handling indicator that records all the necessary information you will need.

This is what PPT Vision Inc did to protect $250-300K units it shipped overseas, and it saved them the cost of a machine. PPT hired Packnet to design a crate that would shield the expensive machines during shipment. Packnet manufactured a cushioned export crate and vapor barriers to keep the machines safe from physical and elemental damage. This alone provided excellent protection during normal shipment.

The custom crates also contained a ShockWatch® Mag3500 recorder to capture excessive shock incidences. The Mag3500 is able to record vertical and horizontal shocks to a package and when they occur. It continuously records excessive G forces until the shipment is at its final destination. The receiver can easily remove the device at that point and download the information. Other data that handling monitors can measure and record include vibration, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.

For PPT, all of these measures proved their full value when one 1,200 pound machine was severely mishandled. The crate protected the exterior, but the receiver discovered damage to the machine’s frame when he opened the package. Thanks to the handling recorder, PPT had everything it needed for its insurance claim. John Sillanpa, who works in PPT Vision Shipping and Receiving, stated, “The Mag3500 literally saved us the cost of the machine.”

You never want to file an insurance claim only to find out that you can’t provide all the information they need to accept it. Working with professionals like Packnet will help you ensure that when the worst happens, you’re protected. Contact us today: 952-944-9124 or request a free assessment.